Dismay at hospitals' latest cuts

By DITA DE BONI

More jobs are likely to go at the financially troubled Auckland District Health Board as it reviews a further 70 positions to save at least $2 million.

The board is under pressure to cut $25 million from its $86 million deficit, and intends reviewing the positions in the next month.

The 70 jobs are the last part of a $15 million cost-cutting exercise, and the board expects to find a further $10 million in savings shortly.

Positions that look set to go would come from the nursing, medical, surgical, managerial and clerical areas, although sources suggest clerical, administrative and support staff will be the main targets.

Staff representatives are aghast at the announcement, saying there is no fat within Auckland's health system and any job losses will affect services and quality of care.

The possible loss of nursing staff is of particular concern. The Herald understands that the board already spends up to $1 million a week on bureau, or temporary nurses, and at any one time at least a third of all nursing staff on duty are temps.

Ian Powell, executive director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, said last night that it was not a question of "if" the quality of patient care would be reduced, but "how and where".

He said Auckland staff, just like those throughout the country, were "working their butts off and being devalued'.

"This is part of the downward spiral that is happening at the board, which is dysfunctional, poorly led from the top, and senior management have to take some responsibility for it."

Chairman Wayne Brown, appointed to sort the board's problems out, had proved to have the "Midas touch in reverse".

The Nurses Organisation's Auckland representative, Penny Oliver, said it was incomprehensible that any positions could be lost.

"There's no more fat in the system to make any more cuts and that's been the case for some time."

Dr Deborah Powell, general secretary of the Resident Doctors Association, which represents the more junior medical staff, said the loss of administrative backup might take people away from their clinical duties.

"There is just more and more work piled on people and morale is getting worse. We are absolutely stressed and it really is coming close to crisis point."

Chief executive Graeme Edmond said the remaining $10 million that the board needed to trim off its budget would not come from further job losses "at this point".

He acknowledged that the job reviews affected morale, but said the board had a "responsibility to manage [its] financial position within available funding."

"We have worked hard to ensure these changes have the minimum impact on patients and have targeted areas with surplus capacity."